The 35-year-old world and European medallist said: “It is a huge honour and a privilege to be able to lead your team on to the field of play for any event, but for a Commonwealth Gales, and for a home Commonwealth Games, it is even more so.

“I really think it will be one of the most special days of my life.

“I know that Linda, Jennifer and Alex have all got fantastic histories as Commonwealth Games athletes and they have done their respective sports and enormous amount of credit.

“It was very humbling to be put forward alongside them.

“The fact that it has been voted for by my peers, the people who understand what athletes go through, makes it more special.”

Euan had to keep his success secret for just over a week. He said: “I was at home with my wife, who was jumping about the place when she found out I was going to be carrying the flag.” Londoner Gemma married Euan last May in Edinburgh.

They train at Judo Scotland’s Ratho HQ, here Gemma is working towards the Rio Olympics in 2016 and Euan is focused on high-performance coaching.

Euan and Gemma

Yesterday, she tweeted a photo of him with the Saltire, saying: “Looking good hubby!”

The couple both fight on the final day of competition at the SECC this weekend. Euan joked that there has been a “friendly” rivalry with Gemma.

He said: “I have come out of retirement, I’m helping to coach the team and I have a wife who is going to be fighting for another team on the same day as me.

“It all makes for a good story and hopefully we can both put medals on the mantelpiece at the end of it.

“Training is going really well and if everything goes as we hope it can, it could well be that we are one of the most successful Scots teams.”

Sir Chris Hoy handed the Edinburgh fighter the flag in front of Team Scotland at the Old Fruitmarket yesterday.

Hoy – who bore the flag at the Olympic opening ceremony in 2012 – said: “No matter what he thinks it will be like, it will be better. The atmosphere and the response the whole team will receive will be like nothing else.”

Team Scotland chef de mission Jon Doig said: “Euan has been at the top of his sport for years. He is a true role model and we all will be proud to follow him into Celtic Park.”